John Cassavetes was born in the Bronx, New York City borough of the city on January 22nd, 1929. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1947 and then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. After graduating from NYU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1951, he began his acting career on the stage. In 1953, Cassavetes moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career and soon landed roles in several television shows including The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955-1961)
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Shortly after he made his film debut with a small role as a soldier in Kiss Me Deadly(1954) and later appeared as a thug in the film noir Johnny Cool (1958).
Cassavetes' breakthrough came with his role as a boxer opposite James Cagney and Tony Curtis in the MGM classic Guys and Dolls (1955), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor.
In 1960, Cassavetes starred as a writer/director/producer alongside key supporting actors such as Peter Falk and Mildred Dunnock in Shadows (1960), which won him another Oscar nomination for best director.
His first feature film as a producer, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1966), starring Angie Dickinson, was well received by critics and audiences alike and was eventually made into an ABC movie of the week called "The Last Tycoon" (1976).
Cassavetes' other works include: The Left-Handed Gun (1968), which he co-wrote; A Woman Under the Influence (1974); The Killing of a College Boy (1975); The Big Shakedown (1976); Passionella (1981) starring Jessica Walter; The Killing Times (1983); Jacky Baby (1989); Excess Baggage (1992); Paris Is Burning (1990) starring Adrian Zmed; Shadows and Fog(1991) starring Peter Falk; Passion Fish(1994) starring Galen Gering; Sweet Hearts Dance(1994) starring Bruce Willis & Diane Lane; The Women's Prison Massacre(1998) starring Teri Garr & Annette O'Toole; Pushing Tin(1999) starring Will Smith & Ben Affleck; Double Play(2002) starring Colm Feore & Kelly Lynch; The Wayward Son(2003) starring Robert De Niro & Nick Nolte; Dark Quest(2006) starring Tim Daly & Mira Sorvino; Waiting For Guffman(1996).